A spirit of collegiality and productivity flourishes at a Glendale, Arizona, middle school. Staff focus on integrating academic, exploratory, and thematic learning to develop students' cooperative learning and thinking skills. Curriculum connections happen by raising awareness about integrated/interdisciplinary curricula, visiting other schools,…

Describes Camp Tech, a week-long activity that teaches junior high school students to apply technology to problem solving. Each annual Camp Tech has been organized around a different scenario, with each cabin representing world regions and minicorporations, and using technology to "Step into a Book." (DMM)

Presents a distance and time map exercise designed as a crime scenario. Explains that students must determine whether one individual could have committed a series of crimes in a given time period. Includes graph production that gives practice in interpreting and expressing aspects of spatial information. (DK)

The development and structure of 6 interdisciplinary world civilization courses by 14 faculty at San Jose State University are described. The curriculum provides a framework for investigation of common problems facing all cultures, analysis and assessment of attempted solutions, successful and unsuccessful, and evaluation of contemporary attempts…

A teacher describes a Foxfire project in which learning-disabled seven year olds made and sold Christmas cards to help the homeless. Outcomes included improved writing skills, understanding of money and math applications for the elementary students, and positive teaching experiences for high school computer students who assisted. (SV)

Discusses mathematical tasks, classroom environments, and means of assessment that might encourage mathematical growth for middle grades students. Proposes a curriculum emphasizing mathematical connections, reasoning, and problem solving. Describes shifts in the culture of the mathematics classroom that support students' development of…

The Future Problem Solving Program develops students' problem-solving and thinking skills as student teams undertake a step-by-step process which involves assessing the teams' existing knowledge of the topic, determining the knowledge they need, gathering information, organizing their knowledge, and using the knowledge to solve specific problems.…

A 1984 partnership between Brigham Young University and five Utah school districts resulted in a new principal preparation program that integrates theory and practice and provides meaningful practice opportunities. The Leaders Preparation Program includes several NASSP-sponsored workshops allowing interns to experience, in a safe but challenging…

Describes self-regulatory processes that promote achievement in the basic skills of reading (clarifying purpose, understanding meanings, drawing inferences, looking for relationships, reformulating text) and mathematical problem solving (clarifying problem goals, understanding concepts, applying knowledge, monitoring progress). Experiences in…

Describes "FLIP IT," a process developed to help a seventh-grade class succeed at information problem solving by analyzing and defining the research process. Explains the mnemonic, FLIP IT, as focusing on the topic, locating appropriate resources, investigating and implementing the information, and producing results while using intelligent…

Investigates whether the study of technology could strengthen instruction in mathematics and science in the elementary and middle schools, especially for women and underrepresented groups. Findings indicated that once teachers began to implement the program in classrooms, students could construct knowledge of mathematics and science through the…

The college teacher's job is to organize the teaching/learning context so all students use the higher-order learning processes that "academic" students always use. This is achieved when objectives express the kind of understanding targeted, teaching context encourages students to achieve it, and assessment tells students what is required of them…

In an innovative urban literacy program, K-3 students create a working community, complete with a store, newspaper, post office, museum, and economic system. Using TRALE (Technology-Rich Authentic Learning Environments), teachers create meaningful instruction through authentic, problem-based learning activities using educational technology when…

Describes a series of four professional development workshops designed to help novice teachers cope with stress. The workshops focus on four approaches: effective use of networking and building of support systems; strategies for relaxation and making time for oneself; management of paperwork and other tasks; and a step-by-step problem solving…

Presents details on how students perform on particular types of mathematics questions from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Data are from three special studies conducted as part of the NAEP: (1) estimation skills; (2) problem-solving abilities (mathematics in context); and (3) students taking advanced courses in mathematics.…